Hello all!
Happy Wednesday! I hope this past week has been filled with sunshine, nights grilling, lemonade and maybe even some fruit salad. There’s nothing quite that says summer like eating outside with some fresh food and good conversations-summer nights are a favorite for me!
Another thing that completes my summer is getting away, whether it’s for a family vacation, a girl’s trip or even just an overnight. Taking some time off always gives you the chance to recharge and return to your everyday life feeling refreshed, relaxed and maybe even a little tanner.
Before you jet off, you may need to complete that to-do list before it’s vacay time- which includes packing. Some people may dread packing, but I enjoy it. I do dread the unpacking when I return home, haha. Whenever I get home from a trip, I immediately start unpacking, putting things away and starting laundry. To me, there’s nothing better than everything back in its place when you get home.
There’s something fun about planning and being intentional with what you need and what you want to bring on a trip. You can also have some fun picking out things you may not wear every day, like different dresses, bolder jewelry or brighter shoes. It can also get stressful especially if you are packing for more than one person. Whether you are packing overnight for one, or a week-long trip for a family of five, here’s some tips for efficient packing that will have you feeling relaxed before you even leave home.
- Make a List-It may sound cliche, but make a list of everything you need, from clothes, makeup, medicines, even things you bring in your purse or carry-on. I typically create a list on my phone so I can reference it throughout the trip and make sure I have everything before heading back home. I write everything down I take, even to the amount of things I’m taking, so I can just do a visual check of things before I leave. This also comes in handy if you are staying at more than one place over the course of your trip. Make a list and check it twice before you bounce from place to place. Plus, if you have children, keeping a list of things you are packing for them in addition to yourself makes things even easier for travel.
- Don’t overpack-It can be easy to overpack especially when it comes to clothes and shoes. You may think to bring outfits for different meals, events or activities and think you will wear them, only to wear one outfit for a day and not change for dinner or other activities. I always try to be intentional with what I am packing, but I always bring a neutral outfit as a backup. This can be an easy t-shirt dress that can be worn for a dinner or outing, or an extra pair of short if you will be doing lots of outdoor activities or walking. I always, always, always bring an extra white t-shirt, it can go with pretty much anything (jeans, shorts, even skirts and it never hurts to have a backup in case an accident happens0hello stains!).
- Use it or Lose it-This is one of my favorite rules, whenever I travel, I always try to use products that are almost out, so I can toss it when I’m away and come back to fresh products. So, what does this mean exactly? If I’m really low on full size products (i.e. face wash, toothpaste, lotion, I will take them with them and use the remainder of them and toss them when I’m away so I can come home to fresh and full products. Now, this doesn’t always work out with products, but when it does, it’s always a win!
- Use Free Samples-Now, let’s say you don’t have any products that are close to being done to bring on vacation and you prefer to use travel size things, here’s a fun suggestion, when traveling take the time to use free sample products. Whether it’s through Ulta Beauty or wherever you get your beauty products, I’m sure you have accumulated your fair share of sample products, use any free samples you have on vacation to see if it’s something worth investing in, whether it be serums, body lotions, face washes, or different color pallets for makeup. While you are away you can try out new products and if you love them, great, if not, you can toss them before you come home. By using your free samples while you are away, it forces you to use your products you have besides having them sit there and it gives you a chance to try new products too
- Be present and have fun! I know this may sound like no brainer, but after planning and organizing there’s nothing better than really unwinding while on vacation. Take the time to unplug, put the phone down and be present where you are at and enjoy it.
Those are just a few tips and tricks that help me for when I travel, not just in the summer but all year around. For those frequent flyers and road trippers, what are your top tips for travel? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next week, happy traveling!
